The Golden Years

Now playing back in Umlaut's early-1980's teenage Metalhead bedroom:

Fast forward to Umlaut's 21st Century adult Metalhead reality:

Lemmy's 70th Birthday Party
The Whisky A-Go-Go, Hollywood, California
December 13, 2015

One thing led to another and on a blustery Sunday afternoon I found myself on Southwest Flight 5872 flying down to Hollywood to celebrate my Capricorn hero's 70th birthday that night.  If you had told the Teenage Me I would find myself at this event I would not have believed you.

December's child the only one,
What I do is what I've done,
I realise I get so cold,
When I was young I was already old,
My life.. My heart.. Black night.. Dark star,
Capricorn


Here in the 21st Century, the Sunset Strip is a mere ghost of its former glory with so many places gone and others being replaced by hotels due to redevelopment.  The steady march towards the area becoming an anonymous massive strip mall is on profound fast forward these days.  Upon arriving in L.A. I chilled for a bit before walking down to Book Soup... and across the street was this example of how time travel does exist.. at least on the outside:

It was extremely surreal to see the Tower colors flying on that iconic space again.  However, it's only temporary as the paint job had been done for the premiere of the Tower Records documentary.  It's still empty, cold, and vacant inside the space.. just like the record industry now.  Anyway, after trying unsuccessfully to get served at a crowded bar showing 3 NFL games at once (Is it baseball yet?!), I found a relatively empty bar a block away to have a beer(s) and wait for my colleague friend to text me so we could meet at The Whisky.. and it wasn't long before that text arrived.

As I approached The Whisky I could hear the soundcheck going on and, to my surprise, the front door was wide open and I just walked right in.  Donde está security? Stepping inside of The Whisky is still like stepping into a time machine.  I've only seen a few shows there but the walls really do ooze Lock 'N Loll history.  Given the magnitude of the evening's event I was shocked how mellow things were.. but it was very cool of course.  After taking a quick look around the room I realized who was soundchecking:

That would be Billy Duffy, Billy Idol, Matt Sorum, Duff McKagan, and Steve Jones.. Star power! Crazy, right?!

It was pretty damn amazing to be able to witness the soundcheck for this once in a lifetime event.  In between jams I also ran into several people who I knew (crew guys.. band guys.. industry guys..)... and it always surprises me when I see shows in L.A. that I actually know people there.  I forget.. One of them was the guy who took the band photos in Appetite For Destruction who was filming the show tonight.  Another cool jam featured 1/2 of Anthrax, Slash, Robert from Metallica, and the guy who sings in Ugly Kid Joe (currently residing in the "Where are they now" file..):

After this round of "check one two" was completed my friend and I popped out to get dinner and to catch up since we hadn't seen each other in awhile.  Upon our return we found the entrance closed and a Will Call line forming as the night became a bit rainy.  Thankfully we easily killed time when my friend Rob came over to chat with us.  It was good to catch up with him and hear how his film project and his up-and-coming band are doing.  At one point the Whisky's photographer asked to take his photo for their website as I was standing directly to his left.

I'm sure it was a big thrill for Rob to have his image posted!  Hopefully it will help generate interest in his band and give them some juice to make it to the next level.  Anyway, there was absolutely no Will Call drama and it wasn't long before we were back inside the dry confines of The Whisky.

Tonight was a private, invite only event and the guest list was limited to several hundred "friends" and associates of Lemmy.  It obviously wasn't public knowledge since there was no mob scene or paparazzi out front.. and it was funny that The Whisky's marquee listed a random battle of the bands-type event during the day.

The vibe of the event with the doors open continued to be very mellow and surprisingly not that L.A.-style douchbag at all.  I was surprised.. Maybe it was because those in attendance all understood the magnitude of being invited... especially with Lemmy himself holding court from the front of the balcony overlooking the main floor.  It was one of those classic L.A. events that was entirely a "V.I.P." audience but the upstairs area was an additional level of "V.I.P." area that required you to have a silver sticker on your laminate to enter.  Thankfully Umlaut rated the silver sticker so it was upstairs I went.

Upstairs featured a bar that was giving away beer for free for awhile and food catered by The Rainbow down the street.  Also on display next to the bar was a magnificent birthday cake:

I was surprised that no one accidentally fell into it after too many Jager shots.. but it was a Sunday school night so maybe folks were holding back.  Anyway, in this "V.I.P. V.I.P." area Umlaut rubbed shoulders with the likes of 1/2 of Metallica (the rhythm section..), 1/2 of Anthrax (the 2 members with beards..), Sebastian Bach, Ross Halfin, Dave Lombardo, other various band people whose bands I can't stand, as well as various record label types, band managers, and recording professionals.. and the guys who host That Metal Show.. among others.  Trivia:  Steve Vai is not as tall as I would have expected.

A couple of friends and I managed to snag a prime table next to the soundboard and watched the beginning of the entertainment from there.  Things kicked off with a couple of bands who I honestly didn't catch the names of.. but one did originals fronted by a kid who took his shirt off for their set and the other a cover band fronted by a girl who, in all fairness, knows how to front a band.  However, the beer(s) in my hand held my attention more... as did the party favors:

Onstage Matt Sorum acted as MC for the night.. which was a nice surprise since I'm sure everybody expected Dave Grohl to be there.. and I'm glad he wasn't because when was he ever really Metal?  Honesty is my only excuse.  I was told prior to the night that the setlist would not be all Motörhead songs because that's understandably the last thing Lemmy would want to hear.. so the setlist was made up of songs and bands that Lemmy loves.. as it should be since it was his party!

The proper celebration featuring Lemmy's band friends kicked off with a combo featuring Sorum, his wife on vocals, Gilby Clarke on guitar, and I can't remember who else doing Zeppelin and Stones songs.  The rotating list of guest musicians moved on to include Sebastian Bach for a song or two and also Steve Vai and Nuno Bettencourt doing passable Hendrix covers.  Everybody knows that Lemmy famously roadied for Hendrix, right?

The combo of Zakk Wylde on vocals / guitar, Sorum on drums, and Blasko on bass did a surprisingly excellent blast of Sabbath's 'Fairies Wear Boots'.  I say surprising because I've never been a fan of Zakk Wylde.. but he won me over at least for tonight.  The only Motörhead song performed was '(We Are) The Road Crew' sung by the guy from Ugly Kid Joe (random... but evidently he's a longtime friend of Lemmy's..) with Scott Ian and Slash on guitars, Charlie Benante on drums, and Robert of Metallica on bass. Quite good.

Midway though the proceedings a screen dropped in front of the stage and a really nice video slideshow honoring Lemmy was shown.  It featured vintage photos of the Birthday Boy with audio and video testimonials from some of his famous friends and kindred spirits.

I actually got a bit misty-eyed watching it since it gave a perspective on Lemmy and his life of music, hellraising, and his sense of humor.  My Hero.  Your Hero.  Right?  At this point I also moved downstairs to watch the rest of show from the less crowded floor and in the sweet spot for sound.  However, the night hit a brief awkward snag when they announced the Birthday Boy would be taking the stage and his tech set up his Murder One rig and his Rickenbacker was brought out... However there was an obvious change of plans because the screen dropped again and Murder One removed from the stage.. but Lemmy still watched over his party comfortably from the balcony.

The party eventually closed with the best guest combo of the night featuring Billy Duffy, Billy Idol, Sorum on drums, Duff McKagan, and Steve Jones smoking through 3 oldies to bring the entertainment to a really fantastic end.  'Shaking All Over' into 'Something Else' into 'God Save The Queen' were perfect.

To be honest the end of the party was a bit anti-climatic but given that it was meant to be a party for Lemmy and not a public event the understated way it played out really was perfect.  I imagine Lemmy does not like being the center of attention all of the time.  My hero.  Your hero. Right?

As the party was officially announced as being over I mingled a bit... said goodbye to a couple of people.. met a couple of people who I'd only known via online interaction.. and then made my way back out into the rainy Hollywood night.  Before heading back to where I was staying I stopped at Mel's Drive-In for a late night meal.. and the waitress thought the Lemmy mask I had was of some pro wrestler whose name I can't remember.

Happy 70th Birthday to Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister!  It was an honor to have been there to celebrate it in such an epic way.  A really fun night.. obviously.  On the way back to The Bay Area, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  Sorry to now get Emo, but I'm at the point in life where the heroes who inspired me in my salad days are gone or slowly fading away.  Thankfully Lemmy is still here, hanging in there, and doing what he's always been doing as best he can given the march of time.  The Golden Years are whenever and whatever you make them, my friends.  To quote Ronnie James Dio: Live for today.  Tomorrow never comes.

Lemmy.  My hero.  Your hero.  Right?!!

Photos courtesy of Umlaut's iPhone.

Just Like Honey

The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Warfield, San Francisco
May 16, 2015

This run of special shows celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Jesus And Mary Chain's seminal debut album was limited to 10 shows in 9 North American cities.. with 2 of those shows in San Francisco that included tonight's opening night sell out.  However, since this show was originally announced in January it kind of snuck up on me these 4 months later.   Part of me had second thoughts about why I wanted to attend since the last time I saw JAMC 8 years ago the show had left me underwhelmed (mainly because Jim Reid left his voice at home that night).  However, The Rock Godz work in mysterious ways and tonight ended up being one of my favorite shows of the year so far.

For better or worse, I completely ignored the opening set by The Black Ryders due to lobby socializing... This despite the fact that the wife of Ian Astbury of The Cult is in the band.. and evidently he was in attendance.  Oh well...  Anyway, after being around 30 minutes late, the Jesus And Mary Chain walked onto a dark stage... Jim Reid mumbled something in Scottish... and the band slid into a mesmerizing half hour, 7-song opening set of hits and other songs not on the Psychocandy album.  This portion of the evening featured the band on a minimalist stage with literally only white lights and white strobes to punctuate the songs.

The opening blast of 'April Skies' into 'Head On' got the crowd into the show and behind the band perfectly and immediately.  I was hard pressed to remember the last time a band opened a show with a pair of their most well-known songs like that.  Other bands should take note and for the record 'Reverence' was the highlight of the set for me ("I wanna die just like Jesus Christ.. I wanna die on a bed of spikes.."). It was fookin' gleat!  Then it was time for the main attraction of the evening.

After the opening set the band left the stage briefly.. and then returned accompanied by a blast of onstage color via a video screen backdrop that had not been used during the graphite themed opening set.  The unexpected blast of color was jarring as it flashed the iconic Psychocandy album cover and then thematic archival film footage and images for the second half of the show.  The video presentation fit perfectly as the band launched into the debut album from start to finish.

  [Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

Tonight was far and away the best JAMC show I've seen in years and completely different than the last time I saw them at that bad 2007 Fillmore show.  It was compelling how strong and booming Jim's voice was tonight and I was reminded that William's dirty guitar fuzz tone is one of my favorites this side of Tony Iommi.  Whatever the Reid brothers have done to recapture their magic onstage left me almost teary-eyed because I've loved their songs so much over the years.. decades... lifetimes.

As the album's 14 songs unfolded onstage I remembered how cutting edge Psychocandy was when it was released... which seems weird now.  When I first heard the album in 1986 not long after its release it was so abrasive and non-traditional.  Like the Velvet Underground being put into a blender while the blender was being crushed by a hydraulic press.  Fast forward to the 21st Century and it's amazing how obvious JAMC's influence has been on the generation(s) of bands who followed them. 

Long story short:  In the mid-80's, as most others were just getting their denim vests dirty with Thrash Metal, Umlaut basically dropped out of the Metal Scene.  Metal was getting more popular, people who had previously dismissed me for being a Metalhead were suddenly showing up at Metal shows.  I grew disillusioned with Metal and I sought out other music to engage me that was still underground.  It was then that JAMC became one of my all-time favorite bands.  They managed to melt and form a sound that was based on so many bands I came to love after I dropped out of the Metal Scene... Music by the likes of Phil Spector, the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, and the MC5.  There was, and is, life outside of Metal.  Thank dog.

Other "80's bands" trot out a vintage album live and play it track for track but sound dated and the performance coming off like a desperate attempt to show relevancy here in the 21st Century.  Watching JAMC perform Psychocandy was the complete opposite of that.  Not everything that is old is irrelevant.  When the Reid Brothers have their shit together they're still a force.

If you bought one of every JAMC merch item I think you would have paid around $200.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. It's not often an old favorite band from another life proves why they're still great to me. Just like honey.

I Gotta New Rose

Dead Men Walking with Jello Biafra / Barb Wire Dolls
Brick & Mortar, San Francisco
May 7, 2015

At the end of the night this was easily my favorite show of 2015 so far.. Yes, it was more fun than seeing Metallica for free with free food and alcohol.  Dead Men Walking were completely off my radar until literally 3 or 4 days prior to this show.  How can that happen in this Interwebs day of instant info!?   I quickly learned that Lemmy's rockabilly side band The Headcat was spawned with Slim Jim Phantom after his involvement with the Roots Rock / Rockabilly vibe of Dead Men Walking.  For the newbies (like Umlaut) here's a list of the revolving cast of musicians who have spent time performing in Dead Men Walking:

Slim Jim Phantom – Stray Cats
Captain Sensible – The Damned
Mike Peters – The Alarm
Chris Cheney – The Living End
Duff McKagan – Guns N’ Roses
Fred Armisen – Saturday Night Live / Portlandia
Kirk Brandon – Spear of Destiny
Glen Matlock – Sex Pistols
Pete Wylie – The Mighty Wah!
Billy Duffy – The Cult
Brian Setzer – Stray Cats
Lemmy – Motörhead
Topper Headon – The Clash
Bruce Watson – Big Country
Mick Jones – The Clash

Wow, right!?  Amazing.  Given the level of music history represented by the participants it's an interesting way for a band to exist in this day and age.  Tonight's version of Dead Men Walking was made up of Slim Jim, Captain Sensible, Mike Peters, Chris Cheney with a guest appearance by Jello Biafra.  I have seen all of the members in either their previous or current bands so I couldn't really picture them sharing the stage.  It was that sense of the unknown and the opportunity to see something inspired and new which made it easy for me to leave Casa de Umlaut for the show.

However, upon arriving at the venue I was stunned by how empty it was as there were literally only 6 or 7 other people in the room only minutes before Barb Wire Dolls were due to start... but it never gets old seeing Jello enter a show through the front door like any other civilian.  Thankfully once the night got started the room filled up to a respectable level.. but it was still not nearly as crowded as it should have been given the headliner.

I'll save time and simply say that Barb Wire Dolls started out of the gate good and the singer does her best to channel Wendy O. Williams... and they did hold my attention for a bit.. but then the songs got samey and the band really is very-L.A... so I'm sure they translate well down south.. but by the middle of their set I was deep in conversation at the bar with a Prohibition Ale.

I didn't know what to expect from Dead Men Walking since I knew so little about them...but once they strapped on their gear and got started I was totally into them.  No bullshit.  No pretenses... and all of the members were smiling from ear to ear the entire set.  It was obvious they were having a great time simply playing music together.

Chris Cheney.. Mike Peters..

 [Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

The band's original songs are not throw away songs and I recognized most of them from the quick listens I'd given their new album via a pre-release stream.  The old man Music Geek in Umlaut is still resistant to listening to music like that... but the 21st Century Music Geek in Umlaut liked what he heard and will be buying the album.

The set was peppered with nods to the participants other bands and included a couple of songs that Peters did with The Alarm.. but sadly not '68 Guns'.  Honesty is my only excuse:  Umlaut liked The Alarm.. They were a grittier U2 but from Wales and I saw them in the 80's.  Slim Jim's old band got the nod with a great version of 'Rumble In Brighton' and Captain Sensible's legacy was trotted out with 'Smash It Up'.  The camaraderie between the current members of the band was obvious as Peters and Slim Jim told the story of how they first met in London in 1980.  It was the type of loose, F-U-N vibe that my life has been missing by only going to see dour Metal bands.  Nothing against Metal of course.. but I'm needing the variety now more than ever.

After a rip roaring main set, Jello Biafra swaggered onstage (introducing himself as Fred Armisen.. HAHA!) and watching him sing The Stray Cats 'Rock This Town' while swinging his hips was a complete revelation!  This was followed by a great version of the DK's 'Let's Lynch The Landlord' dedicated to all the renters in rent-crazy San Francisco and then a rip roaring 'I Fought The Law' (non-Dan White lyrics).. and then the F-U-N night closed with Jello and Captain Sensible sharing vocals on The Damned's 'New Rose'.  Fantastic!

Jello.. Captain Sensible.. Slim Jim..

[Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

This show was the type of head cleaning live music experience that I sorely needed.  I didn't do a merch audit... I've really been spacing about remembering to do them.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced kids called me a fag. Full disclosure:  Umlaut will probably not be ranting about too many Metal shows in this space for the near future.  Even if I attend some my head has simply been hard pressed to think of anything I haven't already said before about the Metal shows.  We will see... but I can't imagine any Metal show being so positive and F-U-N like this was without spraying (fake) blood on folks.

"I gotta New Rose..."

Crypt Keeper

Kirk von Hammett's Fear FestEvil
High On Fire / Orchid / Ghoul
Rock Bar Theater, San Jose, California
April 11, 2015

It's cool when an old friend has the means to take a childhood hobby to the next level as an adult... and that's exactly what Mr. Kirk Hammett has done.  What began as a child with an obsession with horror movies and comics has evolved into an adult world class collector of all that is dark and fun.. and it's been made even cooler that he wants to share it with the public instead of sitting in a dark room surrounded by his valuable rarities.  This was the 4th official Kirk von Hammett event dating back to the book release party in 2012.   As with last year's event, this year was a 3-day celebration but Umlaut was only able to attend the Saturday event which featured performances by my longtime favorites High On Fire, Orchid, and Ghoul.

Back in The Day the space that is now the Rock Bar was a gambling joint called Garden City Casino.  It was odd seeing how they've basically jammed a stage into the space to fit the existing floor plan.  Interesting and odd.  This was my first visit to this relatively new venue and I had heard nothing but good things about it.

Upon arriving there was a ginormous line waiting at the entrance so I killed time in the vendor tent adjacent to the entrance as well as a small carnival games area that was next to it.  The FestEvil vibe was definitely in effect as costumed humans wandered the area.. but it was only a matter of time before things were sorted out for me.  If only all Horror conventions were this easy:

Once inside there was time to kill before the bands started... Running into friends, chatting with friends, drinking beers with friends, and also checking out this year's version of Kirk's Crypt featuring some of his collection on display.  Honesty is my only excuse:  Umlaut only has a casual interest in Horror films and there were really only 2 items that caught my undivided attention... mainly because I am a fan and had seen the items at past events but had failed to take pictures of them.  Not this time...

Re-Animator

The Walking Dead

Yes.. Umlaut is one of those now-mainstream types who adores The Walking Dead.. The show and the comics.  Anyway, one thing led to another and this happened..

"Devil's grip.. The Iron Fist.."
[Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

... and in case you were wondering this is what "backstage" looked like at FestEvil:

Magical.

As the sun set outside the musical portion of the event started up.  Ghoul are one of my favorite bands and it warmed my heart that these band friends were asked to perform.  Obviously they were a natural fit and it was cool that they immediately won the crowd over during the first song even as they sprayed the front row with blood-like liquid.  Orchid are another group of band friends and they were making a return performance after having been included in last year's party.  The Orchid lads were as thunderous as ever but their set was a bit overshadowed by guitarist Mark's vintage Motörhead 1983 Tour shirt in the dressing room:

According to the Umlaut Archives this was the 18th time I'd seen High On Fire.. but I only watched moments of their set as I found myself socializing with friends again more than rocking out.  Again... Honesty is my only excuse.. but I was just going with the flow, man.

Far and away the highlight of the day was the jam session finale featuring the host lead guitarist backed by High On Fire as well as guest appearances by Corey Taylor of Slipknot on vocals, John 5 on guitar for most of the set, and Charlie Benante of Anthrax taking over drums for half of the set as well.  Before all of that Rock Star power hit the stage this happened in a hallway behind the stage:

The best thing about this All-Star jam was that it did not include the usual cover songs that every Metal All-Star jam usually plays (cue 'Highway To Hell'..'Iron Man'.. etc..).  This being Kirk Hammett's party he dug deep into his teenage album collection and pulled out some nerdy song choices!

 

 "BRAIN!!"  Yes, autographed by the host after the show..

For the newbies that would be Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Uli Roth-era Scorpions, Riot, Venom, and Judas Priest.  FUCK. YEAH.  The performance was loose as all of the Rock Stars seemed to tap into their teenage heads again for the duration of the jam.  Oddly, I watched this once in a lifetime moment while kneeling inside a fake fireplace at stage left that evidently is a remnant of the space's previous incarnation.  The suburbs can be very weird, man.

Kirk and High On Fire channel Phil Lynott as they launch into 'Emerald'

I did not do a FestEvil merch audit.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced suburban teenagers called me a fag.  FestEvil is the type of event that people in The Bay Area tend to observe with a jaded ho-hum hometown attitude.  "Oh great.. A member of Metallica doing this and that.. blah blah.."  If this event were held in another city the buzz and the energy around it would probably be on another level.  Instead it was just another of many, many "only in The Bay Area" events and moments to add to the list.  Ain't we lucky!? 

Press Eject And Give Me The Tape

Last week Umlaut's 20th Century mid-level quality Sony tape deck died when I tried to play a tape for the first time in months.  The drive belt must have snapped and thankfully the tape didn't get fucked up.  What to do now here in 2015 when ancient audio equipment dies?

The answer:  Craigslist.. Where you can go for quality 20th Century analog gear that doesn't cost a fortune.  I was interested in finding an upscale direct drive deck (like a Tascam) instead of a less durable "consumer" belt drive deck like my old dead Sony... and I totally lucked out!  A Tascam 202 MKII was posted on Craigslist 2 days earlier by a studio guy clearing out gear he wasn't using anymore. He said he had barely used the deck and once I saw it I believed him; it was clean with only some minor scratches on the case.  The "new" cassette deck was acquired at a neutral location and I wasn't jumped, robbed, or shot.  Sometimes the Rock Godz work in mysterious ways, man.

Back at Casa de Umlaut, G.B.H. live in San Francisco - 1984 and Thin Lizzy live in Preston, England - 1979 (Black Rose Tour) broke the excellent new machine in:

Once this new toy was warmed up, Umlaut got sucked into a vortex of nostalgia over the cassette bootlegs and demo tapes he dubbed and traded in his salad days.  Thankfully, many of the vintage tapes hibernated like the sleeping Cthulhu in my attic... and I quickly brought them out of their slumber.

More fun than an MP3:

After this 1985 show Venom didn't visit San Francisco again for 21 years:

Kirk's 3rd show with the band supporting Venom in New York City:

Yes, Kirk did play 'The Mechanix' with Metallica.  This show was before the band entered the studio to record Kill 'Em All and the new guitarist had only been in the band around 2 weeks.

"Let's rehearse songs from our next album called Master Of Puppets and then maybe someone in the room might leave a tape deck running and record it without us knowing about it.."

Finding the following tape in my attic was pure uncut magic:  A good friend of Umlaut who now lives here in The Bay Area is from Bradford, England and he saw this show on the Master Of Puppets Tour.  He also has snapshots taken at the show with his cheap teenage camera.  I had completely forgotten I had this:

Time travel does exist!  My friend didn't know a recording of this show even existed... and what are the odds that I'd have this tape and be friends with him all these years later!?  What an amazing full circle thing, right?  Sometimes the Metal Godz work in mysterious ways, man.. and sometimes it takes almost 30 years for their full circle plan to be completed.

Achtung! Accept.. Restless & Wild Tour in Deutschland 1983:

This is one of the best Old Metal audience bootleg tapes.  You can hear just enough of the crowd so you feel like you're getting elbowed in the face by drunk teenage German headbangers while getting beer spilled on you at the same time.
 
July 1981.. A week after the High 'N Dry album was released. It was Def Leppard's first U.K. Tour in over a year and the crowd sounds small and lackluster at best:

Awkward... No wonder Def Leppard decided to focus on America for their success.

Murder In The Front Row:  Exodus destroys San Francisco and Berkeley - 1983-84:

The 2/20/83 recording is Kirk Hammett's first to last show with Exodus before leaving to join that other band. All of these tapes include classic Baloff between-song comments and banter that made him a legend.

A quintessential 1983 tape trade:

Penpals would send me demo tapes of bands they thought I would like. Being introduced to Hellhammer so early before they became known as the Metal legends from Switzerland was something I didn't appreciate until years later...

The Blackout U.K. Tour 1982.. and the Scorps included Uli-era songs 'We'll Burn The Sky' and 'Steamrock Fever' in the set in Europe. Unfortunately that was not the case on the U.S. Tour that followed.. "with Michael Schenker on encore."

Maiden were only 13 days into the Number Of The Beast Tour but, as Bruce says before 'Children Of The Damned' early in the set, the album wasn't being released for another 2 weeks.  So, the crowd was hearing most of the new songs for the first time. Only the 'Run To The Hills' single had been released and, as Bruce also said at this show, it was at #7 on the U.K. charts. As a bonus, the band also played the b-side of the single ('Total Eclipse'). This was the 11th show in 1982 for Maiden and a set so long that it took 1 1/4 90-minute blank tapes to capture. The Beast would be on the road in Europe, Australia, Japan, and North America for 9 more months after this night.

It's funny how old habits fell right back into place when listening to cassettes. Such as using a finger to tighten the slack on a tape before putting it in the deck before rewinding so (hopefully) the tape wouldn't snap when rewind ended.  Anyway, cassettes served a purpose back in ancient times.  It's definitely not the perfect audio medium but for those of us old people who grew up using cassettes the nostalgia is strong.  It's how we shared music back in The Day. 

I'd forgotten that part of the excitement of listening to cassettes was that the machine could destroy a tape at any moment if you weren't careful. So many precautions were needed (cleaning and demagnetizing the tape heads, etc..). It's a lost art form.  However, having a quality tape machine also reduces the chances of an analog audio tragedy.. so thanks again to the Rock Godz for sending the Tascam my way.

Ironically, Metallica, the most successful band who benefited the most from cassette trading, recently announced a nostalgic cassette release for Record Store Day 2015.  Click HERE for the story as it was announced by Rolling Stone.. and more on this release in the near future.  

Press eject... and NO Umlaut will not be putting any of these on YouTube.  Sorry, kidz of the Digital Age.

Back To The Grind

Napalm Death / Voivod / Exhumed / Iron Reagan
Oakland Metro, Oakland, California
February 21, 2015

The Friday night commute traffic across The Bay Bridge seemed worse than it really was..but it was still a time suck.  However, we eventually made it to beautiful West Oakland.  Thankfully there was zero guest list drama but due to the traffic we walked in during Iron Reagan's last song.. They sounded great and I was bummed I missed them.  Sorry guys... Next time I'll arrive earlier.. Goddammit.

The Metro was packed solid sold out and with that came the old school uncomfortable side of the venue; muggy sweaty heat.  That being said, nothing comes as close to the old Ruthie's Inn Bay Area Metal Days as a sold out show at The Metro... so if you want to time travel back to 1984 it's as close as you'll ever get.  Adding another main room bar behind the stage was a solid move by the club.. and I appreciate how that, even in a divey venue here in the 21st Century, you can get quality beer despite a sticky floor.  

Local Bay Area heroes Exhumed were up next and delivered a solid, solid set.  I'm still bemused how Max channels James Hetfield circa 1988 onstage, but there's nothing wrong with that.  Also, to make this run of shows special, the band brought back original bass player Ross Sewage (Ludicra, Ghoul, Impaled) for the 5 West Coast shows to play songs off their first album... Which I don't own (honesty is my only excuse..).. but it was a great old school set. 

Exhumed
[Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

The mighty Voivod landed on the Oakland stage next and were nothing short of magnificent.  Yes, there was another lineup change since the last time I saw them with Blacky leaving the bass position again... bummer.  As with every band from my salad days, it's impossible to expect them to still have their "original" members intact.. and Voivod at 1/2 of the original members is at the average ratio.  That being said, they absolutely killed it.  There are new faces but the same musical mastery that made them special in the first place is still front and center; the spirit of Piggy is still very much an aura around the band. Voivod's Prog Thrash resonates even more for me now and the 9-song set bent time and space.  Vintage tracks such as 'Order of the Blackguards', 'Voivod', and the Pink Floyd cover 'Astronomy Domine' were the cornerstones of the performance but I have to say the epic new song 'We Are Connected' was my favorite of the set.  There is still life in the Voivod machine!

Voivod
[Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect from Napalm Death but everything I had heard about shows in recent times had been nothing but raving... and they completely delivered as well.  Grind is just about the only Metal that still holds my attention at this point in history (Sorry Death and Black Metals.. but.. you make me yawn now..It's not you.. It's me..).  Thankfully, Napalm Death has released a brutally great new album that has only reinforced Grind in my heart and that translated perfectly live.  The entire 22-song set was an unrelenting buzz saw groove abattoir of volume.  At times the assault was breathtaking (or maybe it was the sweaty claustrophobic Metro getting to me) and, despite having his right arm in a sling, Barney was in fine form both during and between songs. The new songs 'Smash A Single Digit' and 'How The Years Condemn' really did it for me tonight and it was inspiring that my favorite parts of both Voivod and Napalm sets were their new songs.  Maybe I'm not so completely jaded about Metal after all... maybe.

Napalm Death
[Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

A nice Bay Area moment occurred when Jello Biafra joined Napalm for the appropriate cover of the Dead Kennedy's 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off'.. Although Jello is seemingly at every show (still!) these days... but more power to Jello because at least he's out there supporting the bands he likes... I guess.. Anyway.. it was a nice moment.

I didn't do a merch audit.. I meant to.. but when I went to the side room where all the merch was set up I started talking to so many people that I forgot.  Oh well.. I don't need anymore black t-shirts anyway.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags.   All in all, it was a damn fun night and easily the show of the year so far.. and no one got hurt and we all made it home safely.  I ate a bowl of cereal.. went to bed... and awoke the next morning to fight again.

The Ecstasy Of Gold

The exciting sequel to Damage Inc..

Metallica
Salesforce 2015 Kickoff Party
Pier 48, San Francisco, California
February 9, 2015

Sometimes the Rock Godz work in mysterious ways... The week before tonight I found myself at a small social gathering with these things as the guests of honor:

Three in 5 years... Duck The Fodgers!  Yes... Metallica have their own clubhouse where they hang out with each other and put shit their fans throw at them onstage on the walls.  Oddly, there are no bras on display.  Lock 'N Loll?

Anyway,  I was minding my own business on the following Friday afternoon when I answered a phone call from Metallica's office asking if I would be "around" on Monday.  I thought about it and answered "Why.. Yes I will be "around" on Monday.." and was informed that the band were playing a "secret show" in San Francisco and that I was invited to attend.  Well, isn't that nice?  Lock 'N Loll.

Fast forward to the following Monday and it wasn't until around 5:00pm that I got the details about where and when to go for this "secret show".  Ironically, it ended up being at Pier 48 which is directly across McCovey Cove from my beloved AT&T Park.   When I arrived at the "secret" location it could not have been easier to gain entry.

Free parking?  Check.
My name on the guest list?  Check.
Only person wearing a Motörhead hoodie?  Check.

Once inside it was like entering the cover of the Load album except it was filled with table after table after table after table of free food and alcohol that seemed to go on forever. 

Umlaut goes into The Void

I won't dwell too much on the fact that tonight was a corporate gig with the band playing a private party for the employees of Salesforce to celebrate the end of their fiscal year.  If you can make it, take it.  We should all be so lucky to work for a company whose CEO is a Metallica fan who has enough disposable wealth to hire them to play his parties instead of Kanye West or Katy Perry. Anyway...

I had been told that the band would go on at 9:15pm but even after walking to the very end of the massive space I had no idea where they would be playing.  Very bizarre..  Then I stopped to chat with someone I know from the band's camp who also didn't know where the stage was..  Randomly, a passing food server overheard us talking and informed us that the hall was curtained off at the far end and it would be opened soon and that's where the stage was... She explained that it was set up that way so the "Metallica fans" would mingle instead of going straight to the stage to wait for the band. Ooookaay... I didn't see any obvious Metallica fans amongst the hundreds of suits and business casual folks around me... but whatever.  Armed with this new information, I headed back towards the far curtained off area and.. lo and behold.. it had indeed opened to reveal a modest stage at the far end.  Lock 'N Loll.

[Photo courtesy of Metallica.com]

I hadn't seen Metallica live in over 2 years and I will admit my jaded self got excited when I saw how intimate the show would be up close.  Despite the modest surroundings the stage allowed for "fans" to stand around it on 3 sides and then there were sections on either side with mics setup so it looked like a miniature stadium stage.  As I sipped my complimentary beer the band were late getting the party started... So I took out my iPhone and was posting something to my personal social media when a Salesforce employee next to me said something about not to hashtag "Salesforce" because this was a "secret" event.  My reply was "I don't work for Salesforce..." which caught Mr. Nosey off guard for a second until he then asked "How did you get in??" (I could see the wheels turning in his head about calling security...) but all I said was "I'm with the band..."   Was that a dick move on my part?  Maybe... because I wasn't really "with" the band.. but it shut him up.

Anyway, the house lights didn't go down until after 9:30pm when the CEO of Salesforce came out to address his minions and introduce the entertainment for the evening.  There was no 'Ecstasy Of Gold' intro tape and the hometown band casually launched straight into 'Hit The Lights' followed by 'Master Of Puppets'..

"Master..."

I quickly forgot about where I was and just focused on watching the band play because it was the closest I'd been to them onstage in a very long time.  I noticed that they all wore off-the-shelf shoes; Robert had on his signature pair of Vans.  It's the little things. During 'Sanitarium' this dude knelt down in front of me and we both had a flashback to The Stone, San Francisco - 1983:

2015

1983

The more things change, the more they stay the same... As the song ended that dude started to walk back towards the drum riser but turned and tossed this to me.. which I caught in midair (natch!):

Battle scarred by stage use...

It would be easy to dismiss this performance but, in the spirit of simply having fun and not being a negative creep, I realized it was just like watching the band rehearse.  There was no real pressure on them since they weren't playing for *their* crowd.  It was a casual audience at best.  There was free food and open bars everywhere.  It was probably the best free concert I've ever seen.  Also, it had been many, many years since the last time I was against a stage during a Metallica set and felt it vibrate from the volume.  It was cool.

A solid 14 song setlist... All killer and no filler.  There was no production and no intro tapes; it was a performance basically stripped down to the very bare essentials and that made it unique despite the corporate nature of the event.  Like I just said, it was like watching the band rehearse but they did break a sweat.  However, it was awkward when the Salesforce crowd chanted "Yeah!" instead of "Die!" during 'Creeping Death'.   I literally laughed out loud.. Yeah.. awkward.  For those who care the setlist was:

• Hit the Lights
• Master of Puppets
• Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
• Sad But True
• The Unforgiven
• Fuel
• Wherever I May Roam
• One
• For Whom the Bell Tolls
• Battery
• Nothing Else Matters
• Enter Sandman

 Encore:

• Creeping Death
• Seek & Destroy

Not bad for a free show on a Monday night, man.

Before the band came out I chatted with another Salesforce employee next to me who works at their office in Australia.  He was a legit Metallica fan and out of his mind with excitement and couldn't believe they were playing his company party.  A nice guy who also had a proper camera with him:

  [Photos courtesy of Nish Veer]

"We're scanning the scene at Salesforce tonight.. We're looking for YOU to start up a fight!" 

The party closed with the standard 'Seek And Destroy' and it was nice to see the song done without the beach ball drop that happens at "real" Metallica shows these days.  It's bizarre to me how 'Seek' has become the "party" song of a Metallica set when back in The Day it was a song that made me want to fuck shit up.  Weird...  Hope I die before I get old.

Anyway, as the song ended and The Four Horsemen took their bows, The Master Of Puppets turned around, caught my eye, and tossed one of his sweat-soaked wristbands to me... Uhhh...  I picked it up, looked to see if it even had the band's name on it (which it did not) and then I said out loud "This is fucking gross.." and tossed it onto the drum riser.  In hindsight I should have probably kept it to sell on Ebay, right?  Oh well.. Honesty is my only excuse. I mean, how would he feel if I tossed my dirty laundry at him in public?

Tonight's corporate gig was much better than the Salesforce gig 3 years ago, but that was because I had made the effort to be right up front against the stage and not 50 yards back standing with indifferent hors d'oeuvre swilling guests who would have been much happier if their CEO had hired Kanye West or Katy Perry to perform instead.  I had fun.  I ate and drank for free.  I was home in 20 minutes.

There was no Metallica merch for sale.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.   After I got home this text exchange happened between Umlaut and the Master Of Puppets:

Awww.. Battery is found in me.